IMAGES OF EDEN – Sunlight Of The Spirit

The first album from Progressive Hard Rockers Images Of Eden – Chapter I – came out in 2001. Prior to that, the band had a song on a Perris Records compilation album. Released in late 2006, Sunlight Of The Spirit is the group’s first studio CD in five years.

Since the release of Sunlight Of The Spirit, the band has added a keyboardist and bassist to the mix. The threesome that plays on this album is as follows: Gordon Tittsworth, vocals, bass, and keyboards; Dennis Mullin, guitars; and Matt Kaiser, drums. Tittsworth is also credited with all the songwriting on the 12-track album, save for the introductory instrumental track “Ascension,” which was written by Mullin.

Whether it’s fair or not, Progressive Rock has been knocked by many people for being cold and self-indulgent, more of an excuse for talented musicians to show off with endless solos and all-around instrumental wankery, just because they can. This makes lots of Progressive Rock something of an acquired taste.

Thankfully, Images Of Eden doesn’t fall into that trap on Sunlight Of The Spirit: the guys are definitely talented, but they use their talents for good, not boredom. The songs are well-written, with lots of good melodies and well-composed arrangements. The music also has warmth and feeling to it; it’s not cold and lifeless, and while there are a couple of songs that might be overly long — “Dream Catcher” and album-closer “Midnight’s Tide” — they move quickly, with no bloated or boring parts.

Sunlight Of The Spirit has the requisite amount of heaviness also: Mullin’s riffs are catchy and hard-hitting, and he contributes some good solos too. He can play, but he doesn’t show off. The keyboard playing of Tittsworth is quite interesting, and adds a lot of atmosphere to the songs. His singing is pretty good also. This album may not be heavy enough for the hardcore Metalheads, but it still has a lot of punch and crunch just the same.

The centerpiece of Sunlight Of The Spirit would probably be the title track, which is broken up into three separate parts of about five minutes apiece. It’s long, but moves along at a good clip. Other strong tracks are “Kaleidoscope,” “To Live Another Day,” “Dream Catcher,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Aladdin,” and “Through October Skies.” “Midnight’s Tide” goes a bit too long at over 11 minutes in length, but it’s an atmospheric track with some well-placed sound effects at the end.

Sunlight Of The Spirit is a well-done collection of solid Progressive Hard Rock. Images of Eden has come up with a very strong album. Check it out.